Vehicle tire



May 22, 1928. 1,670,827

F. A. SEIBERLING VEHI CLE TIRE or flexibility to the tire. to give suchresilience that the tread surface 5 to objects Patented May 22, 1928.

FRANK A. SEIBERIYIJING, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO SEIBEBLING RUBBERCOH- run, A CORPORATION 01' OHIO.

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Application med July 28 This invention is a novel vehicle tire andrelates especially to the type known as the cushion tire, whlch isconstructed of an elastic material or rubber and is therefore resil 5ient, but is of a solid construction in the sense that it is not of theinflated or pneumatic type andis therefore non-puncturable. a Thegeneral object of the present invention is to secure to the maximumdegree the In several desiderata for tires ofthe cushion type. grip uponthe road surface and thereby increased tractive power as well asnon-skld qualities. A special object is to afford nonlli skiddingualities which will be perpetual, that is, wi 1 be present throughoutthe wear of the tire from the original tread surface to the limit towhich wear ispractioal. An-

other object is to give maximum resilience A special object is will havea capability of absorbing to a maximum degree, obstacles such as stones,and the shock upon impact therewith. An-

other object is to afiord a cushion tire which will maintain itself ingood condition and with ventilation to prevent overheating. A furtherobject is to secure a self cleaning operation of the interior spaces.Further a0 0 jects and advantages will appear in the hereinafterfollowing s ecification of one form or embodiment o the invention, orwill be apparent to those skilled in the art.

To the attainment of the above referred and advantages, the presentinvention consists in the novel vehicle tire and the novel features ofconstruction, combination, operation, arrangement and design as hereindescribed or illustrated.

As an example of a vehicle .tire of the cushion type, I refer to myprior Patent No 876,597 of January 14, 1908, which shows to some extentcertain of the qualities hereinabove referred to and upon which thepresent invention may be considered an improvement. I

In common with said prior patent, the present invention comprises acushion tire of resilient vulcanized rubber, with its body cross sectionof a configuration with an ample base or or outer surface, andcommensurate depth; an initial circumferential series of transversetread notches, recesses or grooves for traction and non-skid purposes;and trans- A specific object is to give maximum inner surface, andconvex tread 192a. $erial 11o.653 ,827. v I

verse, flared holes or o enings extending through the body for a dedresilience and cushioning effect and ventilation. The prior structurehowever comes far from attaming the advantages and qualities of thepresent structure, which is distinguished. in

each of the following disclosed respects or features, and moreespecially in the combination of some or all of the following, as willbe more particularly set forth in the claim.

The tread portion of this invention is shown as having the spacedtransverse grooves or notches relatively shallow, and

preferably arranged confined to the sides to avoid interrupting themid-tread area. Thereby the tire is stabilized and maintained of amplestrength, as it would not be with notches of, such great depth as toafford great resilience as in the prior patent.

The transverse holes are not merel preferably flared, to give selfcleaning an insure ventilation, but are shown prov ded in two or moretiers or series located res ectivel at different distances from the treaafior ing great resilience without undue weakening or unstablizing ofthe tire, and moreover ermitting the tread notches to be of she owcharacter, as stated.

The cushioning and ventilating transverse holes are not merely inseveral series or rows between the tread and base, but are shown instaggered relation to each other, that is, the holes in any row arecircumferentially offset with relation to those in the adjacent rowor'rows, thus giving maximum resilience and cushioning with minimuminterruption and weakening of the body of rubber, and without impairinglongitudinal strength. Moreover, preferably, the staggered relation iscarried outward to the tread notches or grooves, shown staggered withrelation to the outermost series; of holes, giving the stated advantageto increased degree.

Thestaggered series of holes are preferably graduated in size, as shown,that is, an outer series consists of holes substantially larger than aseries inwards thereof; this arrangement increasing the ability toabsorb shocks.

The several series of holes are not merely in'staggered relation, butare preferably arran' ed 1n overlapping relation, that is to say, orexample, a circumference through the innermost points of the first oroutermost series of holes will substantially intersect the holes of thesecond or next inward series or row. Moreover, preferably, theoverlapping staggered arrangement is continued to the tread notches orgrooves, the inner points of whiclnmark a circumference which intersectsthe first or outer series of, holes. By these relations a perpetual nonskid tractive surface is maintained as the tire wears, for as the wearobliterates each series of notches or holes it discloses a new series, 7providing always an interrupted tread.

In the accompanying drawings Fig. 1 may be considered a partial top viewlook ing down upon the tread of a vehicle tire embodying the presentinvention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same; and Figs. 3 and 4:are transverse sections.

The tire may be applied to different types of wheels, for example, awheel having a wood rim 5, surrounded by a strip or sheath posite sides10 preferably inclined toward the tread, and a base or inner surface 11which engages directly with the rim 7. The base and rim may be ribbed asindicated at 12 and united by vulcanization.

The tread surface is shownas provided with spaced apart transversenotches or grooves 13. These constitute initial traction or non-skidrecesses. The notches 13 are not only spaced from each othercircumferentially, but are arranged at opposite sides of the tread, witha space between, so that the notches 13 do not extend entirely acrossthe tread. This avoids interrupting the continuity of the middlecircumference of the tread and provides a continuous central surface ormid rib 14:. It will be noted further that the notches 13 are relativelyshallow in stead of having the extreme depth shown in the prior patent,and resulting in a more stable and satisfactory tire. The ends of theseveral notches 13 may be" interconnected by a series of longitudinalgrooves 15 arranged circumferentially adjacent to the mid-tread surface14' as sho'wn,thus emphasizing the nature of this surface and increasingthe non-skid qualities of the tire.

I Besides the notches, the tire hereof is shown as provided with aplurality, namely three, series of apertures or through holes,preferably open from one side of the tire to the other, and tapered.Thus the first or outer series of holes 16 is shown in'circumferentialarrangement, substantially in wards ofthe tread surface. Each hole 16 isshown as having enlarged or flared exits 17 with a constricted part 18at'the m'iddle., I

Similarly the second or middle series of holes 19 is arranged upon acircumference yet further inwardfeach hole having enlarged ends 20 and areduced center 21, giving the same double flared construction as thefirst series. The third or innermost series of holes 22 may be ofsimilar form with flared ends 23 and reduced center 24.

The several series of holes cooperate with each other and with thenotches to give maximum resilience without undue weaken ing of the.tire, which is rendered very stable by this structure, the resilienceafiorded by the numerous holes being such as to permit the tread notches13 to be of slight depth as stated. The several series of holes notmerely give resilience, but insure ventilation of the tire, keeping therubber from overheating, and therefore in good condition. The flaredcharacter of the holesafi'ords a self cleaning act-ion. Everycompression gives an ejecting action, the flare ecoming constriated andforcing any foreign matter outwardly, thus tending to preserve the opencharacter of the holes and the described ventilating effect.

It will be further noted that the several series of holes are in stagered relation with each other. Thus the ho es,19 are ofiset or spacedbetween the positions of the holes 16, and the holes 22 are staggered ina simiv lar manner. a a

By this arrangement maximum resilience and cushion edect are attainedwith minimum interruption and weakening of the body of rubber andwithout impairing its longitudinalstrength. The notches 13 also areshown staggered with relation to the holes. 7

Further, the holes are not merely arranged in series, and staggered asstated, but are preferably graduated in size, the outer series 16consisting of holes substantially larger than those in series 19 and 22.This greatly increases the ability of the tire to absorb shocks becausemaximum fiexiblity is given in the neighborhood of the tread, so thatupon striking a stone or similar obstruction the tire is able to yieldlocally and minimize the shock.

In addition to these combined features, the several series of holes areshown in overlapping relation, as already explained. This overlappingrelation is carried outward to the tread notches. Thus the circumferenceindicated at 25, through the innermost points of the notches 13, isfurther inward than the circumference 26 throu h the outermost points ofthe holes 16. 0 also the circum-- ference 27 through the innermostpoints of the holes 16 is further inward than the circumference 28 throuh the outermost points the circumference 29 of the holes 19; an throughthe innermost oints of the latter is further inward than t ecircumference through the outermost points of the holes 22. By thisarrangement a non-skid or traction surface is always presented, inasmuchas the wear of the tire, when it obliterates one series of notches orholes, operates to uncover and brin into action a new series.

Fig. 4 1s a view like Fig. 3 of a modified tire structure in which thesuccessive overla s are of greater extent, so that one series of notchesis disclosed and well developed before the receding series is worn off;

In each orm, the illustrated tire is advantageous in its reducedtendency to sideroll, ,a decided difiiculty and danger with somechambered tires running at high speeds. This advantage is due to thefact t at the systematically arranged transverse holes are conical, withtheir smaller ends in the middle, so that the masses of rubber betweenthe holes take pyramidial forms affordin as it were, a connected series0 pyra'mi s, with their bases in the vertical center line of the tire,giving therefore f strong bracing through the center, and withoutsacrificin resihence.

It will thuslie seen thatthere has been described a vehicle tire of thecushion type embodying the principles and attaining t e advantages ofthe present invention ince various matters of construction, arrangement,operation, desi n and detail may be varlously'modifie without departingfrom the principles involved it is not intended to limit the inventionexce t in so far as set forth in the appended c aim.

What is claimed is:

A cushion tire having its outer surface formed at the two sides withtransverse tread recesses of moderate depth and terminating short of themid tread surface, and with circumferential connectin grooves, and thebody of the tire formed with two or more series of transverse 0 en, anddonble-flared holes, the same gra uated insize, with the larger holesnearer the tread, and arranged in staggered and overlap ing relation toeach otherand to the trea recesses.

In testimony whereof, I have ,aflixed my signature hereto. FRANK A.SEIBERLING.

